Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

-America's #1 weekly motorcycle newspaper. You'll always see it FIRST in Cycle News!" Publisher•...•.• Charles Clayton Business Manager•.•Sharon Clayton General Manager... '1' • • Tom Culp Advertising Manager. . . Tom Walsh Editor. . . . . . . . . . • • Bob Sanford Assistant Editor. . . . . John Bethea c;irculation Manager.•.Rheba Smith Production Manager.•.•Lili Lakich Lab Technician. Greg Westmoreland Editorial & Prod. Asst. Bruce Braly Bookkeeper.•••.•. Edna Williams Bookkeeper•.•••••• Eleanor Duke Want Ads. . • . • . • Jan McCullough Delivery. . . . . . . . • . . . Bob Hill FOUL PLAY? At the Castle Rock Nat'l. T.T. July 11th, John Bethea wrote it UP as Dick Mann running into Dave Aldana's B.S.A. to uPset him and Mann goes on for the win. At Ascot 'half mlle July 17th, it looked to me l1ke Jim Odom broadsided Keith Mashburn coming out of the north turn to put Mashburn out of action and go on for the win with just another lap to go. However, Mashburn won. The same night the starter drops the flag' while Dave Aldana had his hand uP, while his tuner was worldng on the bike. I. know there is a time 11m!t butit wasn't near to being uP. They did not restart the race. It looks to me llkeA.M.A. Professional racing 15 getting dirty. Someone with authority should clean it uP. Maybe Odom came in too fast to avoid broadsliding Mashburn. The same with Mann. You would expect to be run into by a Novice but hardly from an Expert. I think every fair minded person should boycott the Ascot Friday night half mlle for the dirty deal that was given Dave Aldana last Friday n1gbt. ALVIN SUMMERS Bell Gardens, Cal1f. And the idea of blackfla.gglng for Jackrabbit riders, 15 really quite asinine. And on, and on. There were uncountable compliments that nite to the club on the race they threw, as 15 par for all their events, but it is to be totally expected that one will hear from the ever present" whiner's" , as agaIn proved to be true. I felt a reply was necessary to this one in particular, however, due to the complalnts being so utterly ridiculous. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy yourself, as everyone else I know did, but I suPpose that you really "can't please all of the people all of the time". Although not a member, (being a female bars me from it), I have tremendously enjoyed helping the Jackrabbits (great bunch of guys) on all their events for many years and know of all the preparation that takes place a month beforehand. It takes a lot of hard work,patience, co-operation and long hours performing their jobs, and they are profesionals in their own right. lf it bothers you that had, why don't you join a club or got out and help one, so you could incorPOrate the mending that is thought to be needed so terribly, and know what it is to put on an event. voice. SHE SAYS JACKRABBITS ARE OK As you say, "first of all", the Jackrabbits M.C. has been in ex1stance for 30 years, and have put on more excellent sportsman events, than you and I have annuls, so that "lack of experience" Is quite out of the question. Record bas it that they were the first club to unanimously bar all alcohol consumption of club members at any T.T. scrambles sponsored by them. This bas been strictly adhered to ever since and thus was so June 13 at Elsinore. lf this rule is broken, bis membership is terminated automatically. So that also puts "drunken officlals endangering everybody'S lives" a bit out of the question. As for "Mickey Mouse management" •• I would put the Jackrabbit record uP against "your" club. That Is if you are mentally alert enough to belong to one, and your statements do leave me in doubt! The starting line was continua1ly being marked by the starters, as I and 200 other people bore witness to. The starting of 12 riders was close, they admit, but surely you must have observed that most all the problems were in the heat's of 6 to 10 riders. The 10 min. watt for a Jackrabbit was the time it took the ambulance to bring him back to the starting line unconscious from unlOlidIng in the north turn•• J am certain that he asked no one to watt for him either. And could you please tell me how a riders club colors can be seen in the north turn from the pit area? Where the starters are? You can be assured that if "wb1ner" Hannon was hurt, the 'same delay would have taken place. Spectators were continuously being moved !lack by flagmen, starters & otficlals, but when beads were turned. they were back agaIn•• Jt is obvious that 40 club members cannot keep an eye on 1,000 spectators at one time for ten hours, though they do the best they can. The Jackrabbits, along with the track owner, felt that track maintenance was efficient, so I don't know where you get that. You realize that 90% of the "whiners" don't even belong to a club? I feel that when an enthusiast Is interested enough in the sport to really get into it and join a club, then and only then, does he have the right to make a "BIG BEEF". IRIS KOUNS Lynwood, Cal1f. CQULD BE BETIER I took two of my friends and went to Saddieback the 4th of July to see what W1ls0n and DeSoto would do agaInst the suPer Europeans. Wilson not showing was the first disappointment, after being advertised for weeks he would. We paid four dollars, but didn't know who was' riding as no programs were avallalbe. We could recognize a few of our guys and of course Torsten Hallma.n, but you had no way of knowing who all those fast guys out in front were. It sure looks l1ke for four dollars they could throw in a program. It sure 15n't very interesting to see Mota X when you ·don't have any idea who is out front. I had to watt for my Cycle News to find out what I had seen. I didn't even .know ' Bob Grossi (a fine rider) was there t11l I read about it. , JOHN I. McCOWN South Gite, Cal1f. KEEP IT LONG As one of the tran bike riders Wes Anderson Sr. fa11ed to poll, I wish to advise that I want to continue to ride all the way. A short desert race eliminates the very cballenge that we all.are seek1ng. Breakdown or not, keep the long tran bike race. If we wanted a shorter race we would buy scrambles or motocross number. K. HE'M'INGER La Crescenta, Cal1f. Cycle News East, DixieCycle News, and National Advertising information: Tom Gulp. National Advertising Dir. Cycle News (West), P.O. Box 498, Long Beach, Cal ifornia 90801 (213) 427-7433 - L.A. 636-8844 Northern Representati ve: Bi II Spencer Subscription: One year 2nd class mail •.•. $7.50 Single copy price•••••••.•• 25¢ Published weekly except the first and last week of the calendar year by Cycle News, Inc., Post Office Box 498, Leng Beach, California, also publishers of Cycle News East,' and Dixie Cycle News. Second Class Postage paid at Long Beach, Calif. Editorial stories, cartoons, photos, etc. are welcome. Write for information. Addressed, stamped envelope assures return of editorial matter. Reprinti n9 in whole or in part only by permi ssi on of the publ i shers. Advertising rates and circulation infor'mation wi II be sent upon request. March NaDled AM. Head WORTHINGTON, OHIO, July 17, 1970-RussellMarchof Detroit, ~cb1gan, a former member of the AMA executive board, bas been chosen to head the American Motorcycle Association as Executive Director, it was announced Friday. . Formerly sales manager for Buco helmets and prior to that an executive for Honda Motor Co., March has been active in reevaluating the AMA's role as cb1ef representative of the motorcyclist in the U.S. Readers are advised to look to Cycle News for an in-depth interview with the new Exec. Director in a coming issue. Meanwhile, may we suggest a new slogan for AMA? "Forward, MarchI" ·Hansen Get~ Viking Win ELK HORN, WIS. July 19, 1970- Torllef Hansen, Swedish Husqvarna factory rider, put together two firsts and a second for Overall victory in the 250Cc Internatioaal Class at the fourth event of the V1k1ng Series held here Sunday. Nearly 3000 spectators were on hand for the event, although a heavy all night rain, plus drizzles throughout the practice session, left water standing on 25% of the course. For the thtrd consecutive rreek, CZ rider, John DeSoto, was top American, placing stxtb overall in the f1na1 slandings. . Stars Back For MX MOORPARK, CALIF. July 15, 1970 - Top notch West Coast motocross riders, Bob Grossi, John DeSoto and Mark Blackwell, will temporar1ly leave the V1k1ng Series circuit to participate in Cal1fornta's richest professional motocross on August 2 at Bay Mare race track, it was reported today by race promoter, Dave Grove. Additionally, top Greeves r:1der, Gary Ba1ley, who bas been traveling around the country conducting motocross schools, will be on hand for the event. Grove sald that after Sunday's fourth event of the V1k1ng Series in W15consin, the three riders will head for Cal1fornta to compete for the $2100 purse. The three Cal1forntans have raced aga1nst some of Europe's best riders in each of the four Viking events, with DeSoto ma1ntalnlng top Amertcan average,'inc1uding a fourth place overall at PuyalluP, Wash. The August 2 event is jointly sponsored by International Racing Enterprises (IRE) and Cal1fornta Motosport Club (CMC). The high-paying motocross resulted from an over-a-cuP-of-coffee meeting between Grove and CMC offlc1a1s, Stu Peters and Kelvin Franks. According to Grove, the three decided that the sport "was going in too many d1fferent directions." "We had to do something," Grove said. "My God, there's seven or e1gbt events each weekend, with none of them paying what it takes to provide a full time, professional rider With pocket change. And that's not where it'.s at." Santa Rosa Next Natl. SANTA ROSA, CALIF. - Most of the nation's best riders will be in town this weekend for the 20 M11e Dirt Track Nationals scheduled for Sunday. Dick M.aDn, current AMA point leader, will be bard pressed by the ltkes of Jim Rice, Mert Lawwill, Dave Aldana, and Don Castro. Each rider is a member of the AMA's top ten in the PoinlStandiDgs and 15 capable of wlnnlng. Lawwill, fresh off his victory at Ascot's 50-lap TT National held Saturday night, will be out to make the big jump from seventh place overall to fifth as he tralls No.5 in the standings, Don Castro, by a mere 12 points. The first race 15 planned to begin at noon and the gates will open at noon and the ages will open at 10 a.m. at the Santa Rosa Fairgrounds. Forks Being Tested ALHAMBRA, CALIF. - An experimental oleo-pneumatic fork set, sim11ar to the damping system developed for lunar landing craft, have been given to Skip Van Leeuwen for race-testing. Manufactured by Tab10c Mfg. and designer Brian Littler, the "space forks" will be evaluated tn the slam-bang laboratory of competition before production cqlies are ava11able. Farout Race CODling 'SAN PEDRO, CALIF. July 13, 1970- A announc.ement of the first'(and possibly only) San Pedro-to-C&taI1na lsland M1n1btke race was made here recently by the CataI1na Race Committee President, Tom Cosgrove. • , "It's a short course, only 27 miles," Cosgrove pointed out. "We think it's· an ideal distance for m1n1b1kes." What devices the contestants emply 15 left to their ferWe imaginations. The rules only stipulate that the Cata11na racers must start with a production model m1n1btke and the macb1ne must be rideable on land as well as on water. No aux1l1ary propulsion may be used. Timed to coincide with thl!' 13th anniversary of the last CataI1na Grand Prix, May, 1971, the mod1f1ed m1n1s will start from a beach near San Pedro and dash uP a Catalina beach 10 the f1nIsb line. Contestants Will.be disqua11f1ed for towing or otherwise transporting the m1n1b1ll:es on the channel, but safety boats will accompany each contestant. Co-sponsors Cycle News and Pac1f1c Coast Honda have donated $500 to the purse, and all entry fees ($10 each) w11l also be divided among the winners. Anyone over 18 may enter, in writing, to th15 newspaper. Cycle Park For Pomona POMONA, CALIF. July 10, 1970 - Permission for a cycle park bas been granted in . the city of Pomona by a 6-1 vote of the Pomona City Council. The park will be 106 acres and it was approved that it could be used on weekends and some weekdays. It will be privately run - one at the co-wners being L.A. Dodger Claude Osteen.

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